Long-term follow-up after vertebroplasty - A mean 10-years follow-up control study.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical 10 year outcome of patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures and to determine the incidence of new fractures in this time interval, as well as the mortality of the patients who underwent this procedure.

Methods: All patients undergoing vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures between May 2007 until July 2008 were prospectively followed up at 10 years postoperatively. Patients were assessed for radiologic outcome and self-reported outcome parameters (PROs).

Risk Factors for Negative Global Treatment Outcomes in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Mixed Effects Model Analysis of Data from an International Spine Registry.

Objective: To determine risk factors for negative global treatment outcomes as self-assessed by patients undergoing surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Methods: Patients from the Spine Tango registry undergoing first-time surgery for LSS were analyzed. The primary outcome was global treatment outcomes measured at the last available follow-up ≥3 months postoperatively using a single question rating how much the operation had helped the patient's back problem (negative = no change/operation made things worse).

The Oswestry Disability Index, confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 35,263 verifies a one-factor structure but practicality issues remain.

Purpose: To analyze the factor structure of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in a large symptomatic low back pain (LBP) population using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Methods: Analysis of pooled baseline ODI LBP patient data from the international Spine Tango registry of EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe. The sample, with n = 35,263 (55.

Long-term Outcome After Monosegmental L4/5 Stabilization for Degenerative Spondylolisthesis With the Dynesys Device.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected clinical data.

Objective: To assess the long-term outcome of patients with monosegmental L4/5 degenerative spondylolisthesis treated with the dynamic Dynesys device.

Summary Of Background Data: The Dynesys system has been used as a semirigid, lumbar dorsal pedicular stabilization device since 1994.

The 100 Most Influential Publications in Cervical Spine Research.

Study Design: Bibliometric study of current literature.

Objective: To identify and analyze the 100 most cited publications in cervical spine research.

Summary Of Background Data: The cervical spine is a dynamic field of research with many advances made within the last century.

The in vitro effects of dexamethasone, insulin and triiodothyronine on degenerative human intervertebral disc cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Degeneration of intervertebral discs (IVD) is one of the main causes of back pain and tissue engineering has been proposed as a treatment. Tissue engineering requires the use of highly expensive growth factors, which might, in addition, lack regulatory approval for human use. In an effort to find readily available differentiation factors, we tested three molecules--dexamethasone, triiodothyronine (T3) and insulin--on human IVD cells isolated after surgery, expanded in vitro and transferred into alginate beads.

[Dynamic posterior stabilization with the pedicle screw system DYNESYS®].

Objective: The dynamic neutralization system for the spine (DYNESYS®) is a pedicle screw based system intending mobile restabilization substituting physiological tissue restraints and thus approximating the unstable motion pattern to a normal pattern. It consists of titanium alloy screws, connected by an elastic synthetic compound (PET band and PCU spacer) controlling motion in any plane. DYNESYS® can be used for mono- or multilevel stabilizations in the lumbar spine.

Segment-by-segment stabilization for degenerative disc disease: a hybrid technique.

Patients with multisegmental degenerative disc disease (DDD) resistant to conservative therapy are typically treated with either fusion or non-fusion surgical techniques. The two techniques can be applied at adjacent levels using Dynesys (Zimmer GmbH, Winterthur, Switzerland) implants in a segment-by-segment treatment of multiple level DDD. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome of patients treated using this segment-by-segment application of Dynesys in some levels as a non-fusion device and in other segments in combination with a PLIF as a fusion device.

An injectable nucleus replacement as an adjunct to microdiscectomy: 2 year follow-up in a pilot clinical study.

Literature indicates that loss of disc tissue from herniation and/or surgery can accelerate degeneration of the disc. The associated loss of disc height may correspond with recurrent back and/or leg pain. A novel hydrogel has been developed to replace lost nucleus pulposus and potentially restore normal disc biomechanics following herniation and surgery.

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: a systematic review of 69 clinical studies.

Study Design: Systematic literature review.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty using the data presented in published clinical studies, with respect to patient pain relief, restoration of mobility and vertebral body height, complication rate, and incidence of new adjacent vertebral fractures.

Summary Of Background Data: Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have been gaining popularity for treating vertebral fractures.

Kyphoplasty: chances and limits.

Kyphoplasty provides a minimal-invasive surgical technique for the cement augmentation of vertebral bodies following osteoprotic compression fractures or malignant processes. Kyphoplasty has been developed as an advancement of vertebroplasty. Both procedures feature high-success rates in terms of reliable and lasting reduction of pain.

Posterior dynamic stabilization systems: DYNESYS.

Posterior dynamic stabilization systems have to neutralize injurious forces and restore painless function of the spine segments and protect the adjacent segments. Because degenerative disc disease has many clinical manifestations, pedicular screw systems and interspinous implants have their indications. A dynamic stabilization device has to provide stability throughout its lifetime, unless it activates or allows reparative processes with a reversal of the degenerative changes.

Kyphoplasty for treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a prospective non-randomized study.

Background: Minimally invasive augmentation techniques of vertebral bodies have been advocated to treat osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures (VBCFs). Kyphoplasty is designed to address both fracture-related pain as well as kyphotic deformity usually associated with fracture. Previous studies have indicated the potential of this technique for reduction of vertebral body height, but there has been little investigation into whether this has a lasting effect.

Degeneration of the atlanto-axial joints: a histological study of 9 cases.

Degeneration of the lateral atlanto-axial joints (AAJ) has been described as a potential cause of severe neck pain. However, hardly any data are available on its incidence, especially in comparison to the lower cervical spine. In this histological study, we examined the AAJs in 9 specimens from elderly patients, graded the findings and compared them to those in the facet joints of the lower cervical spine.